I’ll admit it, when people talk about making chia seed pudding, overnight oats, and homemade peanut butter, I unintentionally and regretfully think to myself: wow, get a job. In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, who has that much time on their hands?! But then my curiosity got the better of me, because let’s be honest, those recipes sound labor intensive but darn good, and I started scoping out the scene on a few of my go-to recipe websites. Turns out, there are some pretty quick and easy recipes floating around out there in cyberspace worthy of 10 minutes of my time!

Chia seeds are gaining mega popularity in the health and wellness sector, and for good reason. These little fellas are packed with fiber and omega-3 fatty acids (the good kind of fatty acid that help keep your cholesterol in check to keep that heart pumpin’ away!). They are also fantastic because they expand in water, so if you add a small scoop of chia seeds to a cup of water or on top of your oatmeal, they will expand in your tummy to help keep you feeling fuller for longer. Those sly dogs! Huge kudos for their extra hand in helping us be mindful eaters and not go overboard. They must have known we would go a little cray at the holidays with all that peppermint bark.

I keep a bag of chia seeds in my snack drawer at work (yes, I am 23 and have a snack drawer – JUDGE ME) to sprinkle on top of oatmeal or salads or really anything I want. Today, I decided to try something a little fancier, and I gotta say, I think I could get used to this upscale lifestyle.

Chia Seed Pudding 

Ingredients: 

2 cups almond milk

1/2 cup chia seeds

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 – 2 tablespoons agave nectar

toppings of choice (I used walnuts, shredded coconut, raspberries, blueberries, and cacao nibs)

Instructions:

In a mixing bowl, mix together milk, chia seeds, vanilla extract, and agave nectar. Place in refrigerator for 1 hour or more (but to be honest, most of my creative juices get flowing right before I go to sleep, so I whipped this up and stuck it in the refrigerator overnight). When you are ready to serve, mix the pudding, top with desired toppings, and enjoy.

 

I’m sorry, what?! Come again?! IT REALLY IS THAT EASY PEOPLE. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. It’s 9:03 pm, I just whipped up the next pudding batch for tomorrow in approximately 2.5 minutes. I now have plenty of time to watch an entire episode of New Girl on Netflix and get to bed before my usual 9:30 bedtime. Living the dream.